My letter in response, to be published in The New York Times Book Review on Sunday, June 16 (mine is the second letter):

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/books/review/prog-rock.html

Replies: Posted By: infocat
Date Posted: June 14 2013 at 21:40

Didn't Dean just say recently that this attitude went away after the 70s?Guess it didn't!

---------------Frank SwarbrickBelief is not Truth.

Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: June 14 2013 at 23:42

That's one of the stupidest things I've ever read (the review, not your letter).

-------------In blood, he's writing the lyrics of a brand new tune.

Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 00:59

Here is my favorite quote from the piece:

But that oblivion seems entirely suited to prog, which at its best
functioned as a shelter from school, from sex, from the frightful adult
world.

In short, he just called guys who like prog man-children.

There's probably a grain of truth to that, but, meh, it could be worse.

-------------He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball!

Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 06:27

That's a mighty mean article, I'd say. It's like Chris Squire bullied him or something as a kid.

Posted By: CPicard
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 06:50

It's not even "mean", it's... snotty.

Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 09:34

The review was dumb. I could easily have overlooked all the snottiness if it had bothered to talk more about the book itself. Typical self-serving trash journalism. I shouldn't care (it doesn't affect my own appreciation of the music), but it frustrates me to see such laziness.

I thought your reply was quite good, thanks for taking the time to submit it and share with us.

-------------My other avatar is a Porsche

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.

-Kehlog Albran

Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 12:19

Can we expect more from a magazine that have more content in publicity than on real writing...

-------------Music is the refuge of souls ulcerated by happiness.

Emile M. Cioran

Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 12:54

I couldn't care less, I'm immune to people bashing Prog, but it's a shame that the paper assigns a review to a critic who doesn't have the least appreciation about the subject, it's as if they would ask the review of 2001 A Space Odyssey to someone who hates science-fiction

Good reply letter.

Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 14:25

come on guys... it's all true.

Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 15:10

It's funny at its best, but I don't think it is true.
That's typically something that is written by people who cannot really appreciate prog.
That's the kind of reviews I wish to ignore (but secretly it makes me angry, while I should just laugh at it).

Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 16:24

Yes the review is barbed and sarky but who's feigning surprise here? It made me laughout loud at least twice (rare) There's a lot of truth in it plus a lot of lazy regurgitated cliches as well. C'mon, do any of us take Prog seriously?

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Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 17:55

Don't be upset, it's just the snooze inducers at Rolling Stone, the last place to turn for meaningful, accurate writing on music (or politics). Who bothers with RS anymore?

What I read was someone using insults to cover up ignorance of progressive rock *music*, as Iain says...lazy cliches. If it were clever or witty or truly funny, I could appreciate it....but it was just boring and predictable.

Posted By: AEProgman
Date Posted: June 15 2013 at 21:46

Sounds like Ivy League jibberish.....hmmmm I do see he attended Yale (no offense to any Ivy league proggers that are an exception to the rule).

I ditched my RS subscription back in the late 70's due to lack of substance and have not picked up one since...still looks like a wise decision.

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Posted By: maani
Date Posted: June 16 2013 at 11:28

All: Thanks for your responses. Epignosis and Queen By-Tor: LOL!!

Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: June 16 2013 at 13:53

HolyMoly wrote:

The review was dumb. I could easily have overlooked all the snottiness if it had bothered to talk more about the book itself. Typical self-serving trash journalism. I shouldn't care (it doesn't affect my own appreciation of the music), but it frustrates me to see such laziness.

I thought your reply was quite good, thanks for taking the time to submit it and share with us.

I agree, thanks for your reply and for sharing with all of us.

Those who don't understand progressive rock are just jealous.....they don't get why we worship huge, fiberglass mushrooms onstage, why we sit, transfixed, listening to double-album after double-album, and why we worship musicians who play notes faster than human comprehension.

Screw 'em. I started with King Crimson in 1969 and lever looked back.

Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: June 17 2013 at 13:10

Quite juvenile article, pure trolling. I wouldn't have bothered with a response.Pretty funny in places though. Obviously written by someone whose favourite styles are punk, new wave, hip-hop, and classical music (for added credibility).

Reminds me of the two part article in The Wire about a decade ago which thought that William Ackerman of Focus had been reduced to recording new age music for the Wndham Hill label. I mean if you're going to bash something at least know what you're bashing. Why would anyone buy this?

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Posted By: Dayvenkirq
Date Posted: June 19 2013 at 10:12

Indeed, for many fans, the ridiculousness is the whole point.

... Any truly intelligent person would figure that this is just another way of saying "all prog fans are mentally challenged". That's the one that really ticked me off. I'm not a kind of person who would be able to see a reason why reviews like these should be taken lightly, with a laugh. That Betty White bit was funny but only for a second.

-------------"Books were only one type of receptacle where we stored a lot of things we were afraid we might forget. There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what books say, ... ."

Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: June 19 2013 at 12:30

The thing is progressive rock fans poke fun at themselves just like Spinal Tap parodied the whole genre of rock 'n' roll in one swipe. But this guy isn't even funny. I mean even Rick Wakeman bashes progrock in his book Grumpy Old Rock Star ans Other Wondrous Stories but the difference is that Rck is possesion of wit & intellect.

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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: June 20 2013 at 19:34

Vibrationbaby wrote:

The thing is progressive rock fans poke fun at themselves just like Spinal Tap parodied the whole genre of rock 'n' roll in one swipe. But this guy isn't even funny. I mean even Rick Wakeman bashes progrock in his book Grumpy Old Rock Star ans Other Wondrous Stories but the difference is that Rck is possesion of wit & intellect.

...and musical talent! Wakeman's "Grumpy Old Rick" blog is a must read!

"We were playing a gig at the Manchester Free Trade Hall when I
realised quite how different my lifestyle was from that of the other
members of Yes.

Tales From Topographic Oceans, our grandiose 1973
album, was regarded by fans and critics alike as our most 'challenging'
and I was really struggling with the tour.

Not because it was
hard work - quite the opposite, in fact. As the keyboard player, there
were quite a few passages where I had nothing to do or was just holding
down one key."

etc. Enjoy!

Posted By: HarbouringTheSoul
Date Posted: June 21 2013 at 03:01

While we are aware that Kanye West has sampled King Crimson, we plead
ignorance to the fact that ASAP Rocky or 2 Chainz might harbor a secret
love for Caravan and Gentle Giant.

I must admit I chuckled.

Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: June 21 2013 at 03:45

Troll journalism

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<font color=Brown>Music - The Sound Librarian

...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR]

Posted By: Dayvenkirq
Date Posted: June 21 2013 at 11:25

^ Mhm, that's what I've figured.

-------------"Books were only one type of receptacle where we stored a lot of things we were afraid we might forget. There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what books say, ... ."

Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: June 21 2013 at 15:27

cstack3 wrote:

Vibrationbaby wrote:

The thing is progressive rock fans poke fun at themselves just like Spinal Tap parodied the whole genre of rock 'n' roll in one swipe. But this guy isn't even funny. I mean even Rick Wakeman bashes progrock in his book Grumpy Old Rock Star ans Other Wondrous Stories but the difference is that Rck is possesion of wit & intellect.

...and musical talent! Wakeman's "Grumpy Old Rick" blog is a must read!

Let's take a look at Rob Sheffield's recent contributions to rock journalism. A book about karaoke and a book about Duran Duran. Of course he's going to be derisive about music with any sophistication. There was a great interview with the book's author and Nathan Larson on WNYC's Soundcheck a few months ago. It should be available to listen to in their show archive.

Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: December 20 2013 at 08:56

cstack3 wrote:

...

Those who don't understand progressive rock are just jealous.....they don't get why we worship huge, fiberglass mushrooms onstage, why we sit, transfixed, listening to double-album after double-album, and why we worship musicians who play notes faster than human comprehension.

Screw 'em. I started with King Crimson in 1969 and lever looked back.

...

The part that is scary is the newspaper actually printing something that is rude and out of line and disrespectful.

Insanity. I may joke about something but putting it down like that is uncalled for. I make fun of the fans, but that is a way to get them to look in the mirror and make a call ... not to tell them they are screwed up!

-------------... none of the hits, none of the time ... now you know what the inner art is all about! www.pedrosena.com

Posted By: SquonkHunter
Date Posted: December 22 2013 at 18:12

Great letter. Sounds like the reviewer is one of those who derides that which he does not understand.

-------------"You never had the things you thought you should have had and you'll not get them now..."